The U.S. 6th Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney arrived in the Black Sea Wednesday to standby just in case any danger occurs during the 2014 Winter Olympics in the coastal city of Sochi, Russia, that would require American athletes or spectators to be evacuated quickly.
The Mount Whitney has a crew of 300 sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners, Navy officials said. A second ship, the USS Taylor, will arrive in the Black Sea later today. It has a crew of 200.
Concerned about the prospect of a terrorists attack at the Winter Games, Pentagon officials previously announced that they would situate the American vessels in the Black Sea.
Navy officials said the ships would "perform routine operations in the Black Sea to establish and enhance cooperation, mutual training and interoperability with regional partner nations and allies."